Over
by Loveedith
Summary: Bertie walks away from Edith in 6:8.
1. Chapter 1

Bertie tried to look as if he didn't care as he walked away from Edith towards Downton Abbey.

In reality he was in a turmoil of emotions. He loved Edith so much. And he was so disappointed in her.

And he had told her that it was over, although it broke his own heart to say those words.

Marigold was Edith's own daughter. And Edith hadn't had enough trust in him to tell him that in person. What kind of man did she think he was, really? Why didn't she trust him?

Instead he had had to hear it from someone else. The shock of that had made it impossible for him to pretend that he already knew.

He had felt so humiliated.

...

Bertie had told Edith that he was just going to get his car and drive out of her life, but when he got inside the house he realised there was one other thing he had to do first. So instead of just walking through the great hall and out through the front door he walked up the stairs to the nursery.

He wanted to see little Marigold again. Because he knew that he would see her with different eyes now that he knew that she was Edith's daughter. He wanted to try to see if he had been blind, if he really ought to have seen Edith in her daughter long ago.

...

"I just wanted to say Good-bye to Miss Marigold", he told the Nanny, whom he had luckily already met.

"Hello, Marigold", he then said with a smile to the little girl. She looked up at him with a very shy smile.

There was nothing of Edith in the little girl's looks, Bertie thought. Except, perhaps, that shy smile.

Instead there was something else he noticed in her, something very familiar, though he really didn't manage to put his finger on exactly what it was.

...

Bertie stared at the little girl in consternation. This little girl, known as the ward among the regular grand-children of the house. What would her life be like, especially if the truth about her parentage became generally known? People could be so cruel to children born out of wed-lock, although they couldn't help at all what their parents had done.

Bertie realised he couldn't really blame Edith for trying to keep it a secret. And he himself had actually reacted just the way she had feared.

Told her it was over.

...

Then, suddenly, he realised why Marigold looked so familiar. There was a photo of himself from the time he was three, and the little girl looked almost the same as he himself had done at the time, her hair was just a little bit longer.

There weren't many photos of him as a child.

The poor relative in the fine house, pitied all his life.

His heart skipped a beat when he realised the likeness.

He smiled at the little girl again.

"Good bye, little Marigold", he said then. "Hope to see you soon again!"

Now he only had to go and find Edith again, to tell her that it wasn't over at all. At least not for him.

Not if she could find it in her heart to forgive him.

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment!

...

This was inspired by two things. One is the last scene in the promo for 6:8 where Bertie walks away from Edith, the other the picture where Bertie and Tom are playing with the puppet theatre to amuse the children. I noticed on that picture that Marigold looks a lot more like Bertie than she looks like either Gregson or Edith. Just the same nose, for instance.

...

I hope it works out for Bertie and Edith in canon. Otherwise - there is always fanfiction!


	2. Chapter 2

When Bertie got out from the nursery he started to run. He had to see Edith again, he had to see her as soon as possible.

As he was running down the stairs he almost bumped into someone coming up. It was his future Mother-in-law - well, that was what he hoped she was, at least.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Lady Grantham", he said as he stopped short in the very last moment. "I just have to find your daughter. I have made a terrible mistake."

"Surely you haven't", Cora said, smiling up at the tall man. He really looked worried.

"Well, I have", Bertie said. "So you have to excuse me."

He had already started running again, when he turned around and added: "Edith's little Marigold is the most adorable little girl!"

So she has told him about Marigold, Cora thought. I guess all is well then.

...

When Edith saw Bertie walk away from her with his hands behind his back her tears started to fall.

He had told her it was over, but that he hoped she would have a happy life. The story of her life. Men walking away from her, hoping she would be happy, just not with them.

And Bertie - they had worked together through that night, they had dined and danced together, she had cuddled up with him on the sofa and she had felt so secure and comfortable. And now she had lost him, just because she hadn't managed to pick up the courage to tell him about Marigold before somebody else did.

She stood there for a long, long time, letting her tears flow down. Unable to move.

She would never marry, she realised. She had to find her happiness in other things.

Then she saw through her tears that someone was coming out of the house and heading straight at her. A very tall man - it couldn't be - was this really Bertie or was it just wishful thinking?

...

When Bertie came out from the house he saw that Edith was still standing in the same spot as he had left her.

He hurried on his steps but it was not until he came closer and saw the tears on her cheeks that he started to run again.

It just took him a few seconds to get up to her and take her in his arms.

"Don't cry Edith", he whispered. "Don't cry for me! I'm not worth it! And I want you to be happy."

She looked up at him and he kissed her. She kissed him back - what a relief!

"I just went to see Marigold", he told her then. "She's a lovely little girl! But of course she must be, with you as her mother. I promise I will do my best to give you both a good life. If you still want me."

Edith looked up at him

"Of course I do", she said, happiness shining through her tears. "You are the best man in the whole wide world and I'm so lucky to have met you!"

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading! And thank you for all the lovely comments to the first chapter!

...

I thought this story was complete, but then I felt I just had to put in some more wishful thinking before tomorrow.


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